Calif. Felon Charged with Murder After Tow Truck Theft; 3 Dead

A California felon who allegedly stole a tow truck and then plowed into a group of people, killing three, just hours after he was paroled from prison was charged this week with multiple counts of murder and assault with a deadly weapon, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office announced.

Raymond David Bermudez was scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday in East Los Angeles Superior Court. He is charged in case No. VA091870 with three counts of murder, eight counts of assault with a deadly weapon, a tow truck, and one count of grand theft auto, said Deputy District Attorney Mario Trujillo, who is assigned to prosecute the case. The complaint also alleges Bermudez inflicted great bodily injury on three of the victims.

Bermudez, who was released from Salinas State Prison about 8 a.m. on Oct. 6, allegedly arrived in Los Angeles in the late afternoon and stole a tow truck in Huntington Park shortly before 5 p.m.

After first colliding with 10 vehicles, he allegedly continued driving at a high rate of speed. The truck ran onto a curb and plowed into 11 pedestrians at a bus stop at Vernon and Santa Fe avenues. Eight people were seriously injured and three were killed, including a husband and wife, 35-year-old Daniel Donrantes and 34-year-old Rosa Carrera, who are survived by seven children.

Bermudez, convicted previously of assault and drug possession, is being held on $4.36 million bail. If convicted, he faces multiple life terms in prison.